a little holiday charity
by ulstergirl
Summary: Nancy's already having a really bad night when she finds herself stranded. She just needs a little bit of help to make it home...


**Prompt:** From otpprompts. Imagine one part of your OTP is standing at a bus stop really late at night trying to catch the last bus. Then, when the bus finally comes, they just go right past and don't stop at all! Now they are stranded. But the other half of your OTP was driving by just then and saw it happen. They stop and offer a ride…  
><strong>Warnings:<strong> Some language.

* * *

><p>Nancy was having an awful night.<p>

Her car… well, her car wasn't going anywhere without a tow truck, thanks to the red sports car that had forced her off the road and down a steep hill. Cell service was so awful that she had tried three times to call said tow truck before giving up and trudging toward civilization again. The white glare of the snow seemed to radiate cold, and Nancy huddled a little more deeply into her coat. She had spotted a bus stop, or at least she hoped so; it was poorly lit, and the neighborhood was run down. She checked her cell phone again to see whether service had improved, and sighed. She wanted to get back to her apartment. She wanted to soak in a hot bubble bath and sift through the clues until she figured out who the culprit had to be. Thanks to the red sports car's involvement, her first impulse was to blame Brenda Carlton, but that particularly pesky reporter hadn't been involved in the case so far… or at least Nancy hoped so. Even a generally straightforward case became hopelessly tangled once Brenda poked her nose into it.

Nancy sighed and tried to quicken her pace. Her feet were freezing. Her toes were numb, and her cheeks were raw from the cold wind.

She was maybe half a block away from the bus stop when she heard a creaking, wheezing sound, and turned her head, squinting against the darkness. The snow had begun to fall again, of course—and the bus was lumbering up the street. And the driver was showing absolutely no sign of slowing down.

"Hey!" Nancy began to run toward the bus stop, waving in the hope of catching the driver's attention, even though her hand was immediately freezing outside the warmth of her pocket. "Hey! Just wait…"

But the bus rumbled past the unoccupied stop, and all Nancy's breath left her body in one long disappointed sigh. The two storefronts on the other side of the road were decorated with tinsel and blinking Christmas lights, but their parking lots were empty. She scanned the lot for a pay phone, and wasn't surprised when she didn't find one.

Well. She would need to keep walking, until she found a working phone or another bus stop.

But she knew from past experience that the bus routes were finished for the day, that the el stations would be a considerable hike, that she was too far away to get to her apartment by herself. Once she reached an area with good cell service she could call a cab, or Bess to come pick her up, but she wasn't even sure where her car was.

All in all, she just felt miserable and cold and tired, and discouraged. The bus stop was lit and at least it provided a little shelter from the blowing snow. Her head bowed, Nancy stepped inside for a moment, taking a few deep breaths as she tried to swallow the lump in her throat. She wasn't going to give up, and she had been in infinitely worse situations, but she just felt so tired. It wasn't fair. It was December, close to Christmas; she was supposed to be back at her apartment, sipping cocoa and cuddled under a fleece blanket, not freezing her ass off on the wrong side of Chicago. And if someone would just show her a little holiday charity…

As though responding to her silent wish, she heard a car slow down on the other side of the street. Her heart was in her throat as she brought her head up, hoping that she would see a patrol car. Instead, she saw a late-model sedan, thankfully not red. Her car keys were in her purse, along with a miniature can of pepper spray, but her fingers were frozen and unresponsive. She winced at the thought of using any martial arts moves, if she found herself in danger, but adrenaline would likely give her the strength she would need.

It was a little terrifying, how quickly she began to think about defending herself, but her day had already been so awful. Harassment from some grinning asshole would just be the cherry on top.

A silent factory stood behind the bus stop, on the other side of a tall fence; the gate was closed and padlocked, but a small space of driveway remained open. The car pulled into that short stretch of driveway, and the driver's side window rolled down.

"Hey, I think the last bus has already gone by. You need a ride?"

Nancy considered for a split second. She didn't see anyone other than the driver in the car. "I was just waiting here for a minute. No, but thank you."

"It's freezing," the guy pointed out. "At least let me take you to an el station."

She tried to study him, but the lighting wasn't good. All she really knew about him, other than the car he drove, was the sound of his voice. She sighed and took a few steps toward the car, into the snow again. "Promise? Because I'll have my hand on my cell the whole time, and if you make any weird turns…"

He held up his fingers. "Scout's honor. Come on, get in the car and I can knock out my good deed of the day."

She chuckled silently, and her stomach flipped before she bowed her head and closed the distance between them. She heard the locks _chunk_ back just before she put her hand on the passenger door's handle.

"Scout's honor?" She sat down just as he moved a paper bag from her seat to the center console.

"Yeah. Been a while, but it still works, eh?" He smiled, and just before the dome light clicked off she saw a handsome, square-jawed face, dark long-lashed eyes, dark hair, a gorgeous smile. "So, where you headed?"

She thought about lying or about having him take her to the closest el station. But his car was warm and she could smell fresh, hot french fries, and the words just came out of her. "Uh, Sheridan."

"Oooh," he said appreciatively. "Nice."

"If it's too far out of your way, seriously. Just take me to an el station and I'll get there."

"No, really. It's fine." He chuckled when her stomach emitted a loud, demanding gurgle. She realized that skipping lunch a few hours earlier probably explained the faint pounding in her head, too.

"I'm sorry. I…"

"Really love the smell of McDonald's fries. I get it. Want to split them with me? I'm super hungry and I don't want to be impolite and eat them in front of you without sharing."

"I couldn't…"

"Sure you could. Once we make it through those, I might even give you a few chicken nuggets." She could tell he was smiling.

By the time they made it into her neighborhood, the bag of fast food was empty, and she had learned that Ned—that was his name, or more accurately his improbable nickname—had been in the city a year and a half, he lived with two roommates, and he was definitely looking forward to heading home for the holidays. He told her that he would be heading to Mapleton, and she had to laugh as she told him she was originally from River Heights.

He drove her all the way to her apartment building, stopping at the curb out front. Nancy paused with her hand on the door handle. "I," she began.

"I know," he began at the same time, and they chuckled. "You go first."

"I owe you dinner," she said. "Since I just ate almost all of yours."

"You didn't, but I'll take the excuse," he said. "Could I get your number?"

She nodded and smiled; she couldn't remember the last time she had met a guy this way who wasn't a suspect, and while the guys she met that way were usually interesting and fun, the fun didn't last all that long. Bess didn't have the best track record with guys, at least not when it came to long-term relationships, but she was constantly grilling Nancy about the guys she met, whether she thought they might be good prospects, whether they reacted well to her career or not. Nancy was more amused than annoyed by it; she wondered if Bess was parroting back to her what Mrs. Marvin always asked her, and she was both touched and bemused that her friend would mother her that way.

Based on their brief conversation alone, Nancy had a feeling that Ned would pass all of Bess's criteria with flying colors.

Once they had exchanged numbers, Nancy gave him a smile. "Look, thanks. I'm really glad you happened to be driving by; I'd probably still be looking for a way home right now otherwise."

"At your service," he told her. "I'll happily split a bag of cheap takeout with you anytime, Nancy. Have a good night, okay? And—let me know if you need anything."

Nancy nodded, fighting the incredibly foolish urge to invite him upstairs for coffee. She had a lot to do, and arrangements to make to retrieve her car. She didn't have time for this, for _him_, right now.

Still, she waved at him before she headed inside, and she found herself grinning as she passed through the lobby and walked onto the elevator car.

Bess was sitting on the couch in their apartment when Nancy walked in, a bowl of popcorn in her lap and the latest Hallmark Christmas movie on the television. "You're late," Bess commented, glancing over at her. "Everything okay? Or do you have a fun story to tell me?"

"The story isn't fun," Nancy said with a sigh. "I'm going to soak in the tub until feeling returns to my extremities. Then I'd like to eat half a pizza. I'm starving."

"Um… how about frozen individual pizzas and some of those snowman cookies?" Bess put her bowl of popcorn aside and rose with a grin. "I mean, it does make two dozen, so maybe I could have a couple?"

Nancy chuckled. "Sounds great, Bess. I'll be out in a little while."

She had just dipped a bare toe into the steaming, bubble-topped water when her cell phone chirped. When she saw that it was notifying her about a text from Ned, she smiled and slid into the water before swiping the screen to read the message.

_Hope you're safe and warm now, beautiful. Let me know when you're ready to pay me back for dinner. I'm thinking Chinese takeout on my couch sounds great, but it's your call._

Nancy raised an eyebrow, her smile broadening. _Same to you, handsome. But I like something a bit more adventurous. Purple Pig?_

His reply came less than a minute later. _Trying to get me drunk, I see. I fully approve. This weekend?_

She chuckled. _Saturday? But only if you promise to take me dancing after._

_You're on, beautiful. I'll be counting the minutes._

She chuckled and put her phone down before sliding deeper into the tub. Well, maybe the day hadn't been so terrible after all. For the first time in a long time, she found herself looking forward to a second date even more than the first.

"Super excited about the snowman cookies, huh," Bess said when Nancy stepped out of her room and immediately smelled sugar cookie. She hadn't been able to stop grinning since she and Ned had agreed to see each other again. Then her phone went off again, and she immediately glanced down at it, her heart in her throat.

"All right, Drew," Bess said. "Tell me _everything._ Because you don't get that look in your eye often."

"I'm just really happy about the cookies," Nancy lied. _Never mind, I'm counting the seconds,_ he had texted her.

"Bullshit," Bess said, but her tone was happy.

The rest of the evening was taken up by a call to a tow company, Nancy's exhausted explanation of what had happened, and devouring Bess's hasty meal with many thanks. She didn't want to say much about the guy who had driven her home; it seemed wrong to talk about it yet, but Bess took the little information she shared and ran with it, with her usual zeal.

"And he's been texting you, hasn't he. Oh, Nan, this is just the way meet-cutes happen. I'm so excited!" Bess was grinning.

"And I'm tired. _And_ I might just ask you to come along with me Saturday for moral support."

Bess squealed with glee. "I can't wait. Seriously, it's been too long since you've dated a guy who wasn't, well…"

"A total jerk?" Nancy filled in as she picked up her plate and headed for the kitchen.

"Yeah. Pretty much." Bess propped her chin on her hand. "Not to mention one who could get you to agree to a date so fast. I have a good feeling about this one, sweetie."

Nancy put the plate down in the sink and smiled; she was out of Bess's sight as she swept her hair out of her face, her heart rising a little. "Me too," she whispered.


End file.
